Josh Hokit
Born Joshua Seth Hokit
(1997-11-12) November 12, 1997 (age 28)
Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Other names The Incredible Hok
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 231 lb (105 kg; 16 st 7 lb)
Division Heavyweight
Reach 73 in (185 cm)[1]
Fighting out of Clovis, California, U.S.
Team Jackson Wink MMA Academy
Years active 2023–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total 10
Wins 10
By knockout 6
By submission 3
By decision 1
Losses 0
Other information
Website theincrediblehok.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Joshua Seth Hokit (/ˈhoʊkɪt/ HOH-kit; born November 12, 1997) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly competed in Bellator MMA.

Prior to competing in MMA, Hokit was an All-American wrestler, and played American football as a tight end and fullback in college football, at Fresno State. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. As of April 14, 2026, he is #5 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.[2]

Early life and college career

Hokit was born on November 12, 1997, in Bakersfield, California. He grew up in Wasco before moving to Clovis. He attended Clovis High School, excelling in wrestling and football. As a senior in wrestling, he peaked at number three in the nation.[3] In football that year, Hokit recorded 125 tackles as a linebacker and also rushed for 820 yards with eight touchdowns on offense.[4] He originally accepted a wrestling scholarship to Drexel University, but changed his mind when he learned they didn't have a football team.[5]

Hokit walked-on at Fresno State University, and played in all 12 football games as a freshman. His role that year saw him play linebacker, fullback, running back, and on special teams.[6] He made seven tackles in the season, and his best game was against Hawaii, where he rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries. As a sophomore, Hokit appeared in all 14 games and started four. He ranked second on the roster with 583 rushing yards, coming on 128 attempts. He also scored seven touchdowns rushing, the ninth-most in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). In the season opener, he threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Jared Rice.[4] After the football season ended, Hokit returned to wrestling, placing fifth in the Big 12 championships.[3][7]

As a junior in 2018, Hokit appeared in 13 of 14 games, making one start. Rushing, he made 260 yards on 73 carries. He scored his lone touchdown of the season against UNLV. He also recorded eight catches for 56 yards, a long of 22.[4] In wrestling, he led the team with 27 wins, and became their first All-America selection since Mario Botelho in 2003.[3][8]

As a senior in 2019, Hokit played in 12 games, making one start in their matchup with Colorado State. He placed fourth on the roster with 287 rushing yards, and second on the team with nine rushing touchdowns. He also recorded 97 receiving yards and one touchdown on 17 catches. He was team captain for the final four games of the year.[4] As a senior in wrestling, he finished the year being named by the NWCA as a second-team All-America selection, after leading Fresno with 24 wins.[3]

Professional football career

Josh Hokit
Profile
Position Tight end / Fullback
Personal information
Listed height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight 225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school Clovis (CA)
College Fresno State
NFL draft 2020: undrafted
Career history
  • San Francisco 49ers (2020–2021)*
  • Arizona Cardinals (2022)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Stats at Pro Football Reference

San Francisco 49ers

After going unselected in the 2020 NFL draft, Hokit was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent.[9] He was waived at the final roster cuts but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[10][11] He was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list on December 23, and activated on December 28. Hokit was signed to a futures contract on January 4, 2021.[12] He was waived at the 2021 final roster cuts, but re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[13][14]

He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on January 11, 2022.[15] He signed a reserve/future contract with the 49ers on February 2.[16] Hokit was waived on August 15.[17]

Arizona Cardinals

On August 18, 2022, Hokit signed with the Arizona Cardinals, but was waived five days later.[18]

Mixed martial arts career

Bellator MMA

On March 1, 2023, it was announced that Hokit had signed with Bellator MMA to start his MMA career.[19]

Hokit made his debut against Spencer Smith on October 7, 2023, at Bellator 300.[20] He won the fight via an arm-triangle submission in the third round.[21]

For his second professional bout, Hokit faced Sean Rose on September 7, 2024, at Bellator Champions Series 4. He won the fight via an armbar submission in the second round.[22]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

After winning three fights under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner, Hokit was booked to fight on season 9 of Dana White's Contender Series on August 19, 2025. He faced Guilherme Uriel and won the fight via TKO in the second round, subsequently receiving a UFC contract from Dana White.[23]

Hokit faced promotional newcomer Max Gimenis on November 8, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 264.[24] He won the fight by technical knockout early in the first round.[25] This fight earned him his first Performance of the Night award.[26]

Hokit faced Denzel Freeman on January 24, 2026, at UFC 324.[27] He won the fight via technical knockout due to retirement in the round one.[28] This fight earned him a $100,000 Performance of the Night award.[29]

Hokit faced Curtis Blaydes on April 11, 2026 at UFC 327.[30] Hokit earned a unanimous decision victory in a bout that was widely cited by media outlets as a Fight of the Year contender.[31][32][33][34] This fight earned him two $100,000 bonuses for Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night, totaling $200,000.[35] Hokit set a UFC record with Curtis Blaydes for most combined significant strikes in a UFC heavyweight bout, landing 177 of the 351 total.[36]

Following his bout and on the night of UFC 327, it was announced that Hokit was scheduled to face Derrick Lewis on June 14, 2026 at UFC Freedom 250.[37] Hokit won the fight by technical knockout in the second round.[38]

Transphobia

Hokit has a history of expressing hate speech targetting transgender individuals and identity. In an LFA post-fight interview, Hokit stated belief that former first lady Michelle Obama was "a man", a transvestigation conspiracy theory popularized by online alt-right figures, and criticized the participation of transgender women in sports.[39] In an August 2025 post-fight interview at the Dana White Contender Series, he stated that "there's consequences for these types of behaviors in America," referring to transgender identity.[40] In January 2026 at UFC 324, Hokit stated that Olympic gold-medalist and WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner "is a man".[41] In a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan at UFC Freedom 250, hosted at the White House South Lawn, Hokit again repeated the conspiracy theory that Michelle Obama was born male.[39][42][43]

Championships and accomplishments

  • Ultimate Fighting Championship
    • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Curtis Blaydes[35]
    • Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Max Gimenis, Denzel Freeman and Curtis Blaydes[26][29][35]
    • UFC heavyweight bout records
      • Most significant strikes landed in a three-round heavweight bout (177) (vs. Curtis Blaydes)[36]
      • Second most significant strikes landed in any heavyweight bout (177) (vs. Curtis Blaydes)[44]
      • Most significant head strikes landed (164) (vs. Curtis Blaydes)[44]
      • Fourth most significant strikes attempted (293) (vs. Curtis Blaydes)[44]
      • Fourth most distance strikes landed (146) (vs. Curtis Blaydes)[44]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
10 matches 10 wins 0 losses
By knockout 6 0
By submission 3 0
By decision 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 10–0 Derrick Lewis TKO (punches) UFC Freedom 250 June 14, 2026 2 4:09 Washington, D.C., United States
Win 9–0 Curtis Blaydes Decision (unanimous) UFC 327 April 11, 2026 3 5:00 Miami, Florida, United States Performance of the Night. Fight of the Night.
Win 8–0 Denzel Freeman TKO (retirement) UFC 324 January 24, 2026 1 4:59 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 7–0 Max Gimenis TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown November 8, 2025 1 0:56 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 6–0 Guilherme Uriel TKO (elbows) Dana White's Contender Series 78 August 19, 2025 2 1:06 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 5–0 Eric Lunsford TKO (punches) LFA 208 May 9, 2025 1 2:00 Santa Cruz, California, United States Catchweight (269.6 lb) bout; Lunsford missed weight.
Win 4–0 Ezekiel Latu Submission (rear-naked choke) LFA 203 March 6, 2025 1 0:42 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 3–0 John Lopez TKO (punches) LFA 199 January 10, 2025 1 2:53 Lemoore, California, United States
Win 2–0 Sean Rose Submission (armbar) Bellator Champions Series 4 September 7, 2024 1 4:58 San Diego, California, United States
Win 1–0 Spencer Smith Submission (arm-triangle choke) Bellator 300 October 7, 2023 3 3:48 San Diego, California, United States Heavyweight debut.

See also

  • List of current UFC fighters
  • List of male mixed martial artists

References

  1. ^ "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  2. ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d "Josh Hokit - Wrestling - Fresno State". Fresno State Bulldogs.
  4. ^ a b c d "Josh Hokit - Football - Fresno State". Fresno State Bulldogs.
  5. ^ "49ers rookie Josh Hokit has considered MMA career after NFL journey". NBC Sports. July 20, 2020.
  6. ^ Kuwada, Robert (November 18, 2016). "Versatile LB Hokit goes to mat for 'Dogs in two sports". The Fresno Bee. p. C1, C6 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ Anteola, Bryant-Jon. "With football over, 'Dogs' Hokit wrestles". The Fresno Bee. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ Anteola, Bryant-Jon (March 24, 2019). "Fresno State wrestler earns All-America honors at NCAA championships". The Fresno Bee. p. B1, B4 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ Moore, Jackson (April 26, 2020). "Fresno State's Josh Hokit signed by San Francisco 49ers". 247Sports.com.
  10. ^ Cohn, Grant (September 5, 2020). "San Francisco 49ers Cutdown Tracker: Final Cuts Released". Sports Illustrated.
  11. ^ Frank, Vincent (September 6, 2020). "First Look At The San Francisco 49ers' 16-Man Practice Squad". Forbes.
  12. ^ "Josh Hokit Transactions & Injuries". Sports Forecaster.
  13. ^ "Josh Hokit: Waived by San Fran". CBS Sports. August 31, 2021.
  14. ^ Bonilla, David (September 6, 2021). "49ers 2020 16-Player Practice Squad Tracker". 49ersWebZone.com.
  15. ^ "Josh Hokit: Moves to COVID-19 list". CBS Sports. January 11, 2022.
  16. ^ "49ers Sign 11 Players to Reserve/Future Contracts". 49ers.com. February 2, 2022.
  17. ^ "49ers release Darqueze Dennard, waive three". NBCSports.com. August 15, 2022. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  18. ^ Simmons, Myles (August 18, 2022). "Cardinals sign Josh Hokit". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
  19. ^ Barrasso, Justin. "Josh Hokit Signs Multi-Fight Deal With Bellator". Sports Illustrated.
  20. ^ "Historic Bellator 300 gets eight new prelim fights". MMA Junkie. September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  21. ^ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 300 Highlight Video: Josh Hokit Taps Spencer Smith". Sherdog. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "Josh Hokit showcases grappling prowess to score first-round submission in last-second fashion". bellator.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  23. ^ Wells, Matthew; Hathaway, Ken (August 19, 2025). "Dana White's Contender Series 78 results: All five winners receive UFC contracts". MMA Junkie. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  24. ^ Jesse Holland (October 10, 2025). "UFC Vegas 111 fight card, start time, date and location - Bonfim vs. Brown". mmamania.com. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  25. ^ Shawn Bitter (November 8, 2025). "UFC Vegas 111: Josh Hokit Puts Away Max Gimenis Early, Channels Chael Sonnen in Promo". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  26. ^ a b Erickson, Matt. "UFC Vegas 111 bonuses: Big favorite's rehearsed cheese gets $50K, heartfelt plea snubbed". MMA Junkie. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  27. ^ King, Nolan. "UFC 324 adds Josh Hokit vs. Denzel Freeman". MMA Junkie. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  28. ^ Danna, Patrick (January 24, 2026). "UFC 324: Josh Hokit's Pace Wears Down Denzel Freeman Early". Cageside Press. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  29. ^ a b Damon Martin (January 25, 2026). "UFC doubling post-fight bonuses from $50K to $100K, introduces new finish bonus". mmafighting.com. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  30. ^ Bartłomiej Stachura (February 24, 2026). "Robiący furorę Josh Hokit dostał rywala z Top 5 wagi ciężkiej – wystąpi na UFC 327". lowking.pl. Retrieved February 24, 2026. (in Polish)
  31. ^ Eddie Law (April 11, 2026). "Josh Hokit takes decision over Blaydes in FOTY candidate". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  32. ^ Mike Bohn (April 11, 2026). "'Best heavyweight fight ever': Fighters react to Josh Hokit vs. Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  33. ^ Alexander K. Lee (April 12, 2026). "'Best heavyweight fight I have ever seen': Pros react to Josh Hokit's insane brawl with Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327". mmafighting.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  34. ^ Shakiel Mahjouri (April 11, 2026). "UFC 327 results, highlights: Josh Hokit outduels Curtis Blaydes in all-time heavyweight brawl". cbssports.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  35. ^ a b c Dan Hiergesell (April 12, 2026). "Bonuses! Headstrong heavyweight Josh Hokit double dips at UFC 327, walks away with $200,000". mmamania.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  36. ^ a b Mike Johnston (April 12, 2026). "Josh Hokit, Curtis Blaydes thrill at UFC 327; Hokit added to White House card". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  37. ^ Eddie Law (April 11, 2026). "Derrick Lewis vs Josh Hokit added to Freedom 250 card". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  38. ^ Jay Anderson (June 14, 2026). "UFC Freedom 250: Josh Hokit does it again, fells Derrick Lewis". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  39. ^ a b Bell, Brian C. (January 30, 2026). "Even UFC's Dana White didn't like Josh Hokit's transphobia at 'UFC 324'". Outsports. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  40. ^ Simon, Alex (August 20, 2025). "Ex-49ers player turned UFC fighter unloads racist, xenophobic, anti-trans tirade". SFGATE. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  41. ^ Pekios, Craig (January 24, 2026). "Josh Hokit Calls Brittney Griner 'A Man' Following Wild First-Round Knockout – UFC 324 Highlights". LowKickMMA. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  42. ^ Ethan Shanfield (June 15, 2026). "UFC Boss Dana White Condemns Fighter Josh Hokit for Saying 'Michelle Obama Is a Man': 'I Hate That Kind of Nonsense'". variety.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  43. ^ Behunin, Alexander (January 26, 2026). "Dana White wasn't a fan of Josh Hokit's controversial UFC 324 post-fight interview". MMA Mania. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
  44. ^ a b c d UFC (April 12, 2026). "UFC Heavyweight - Fight Stats". statleaders.ufc.com. Retrieved April 12, 2026.

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